BJP manifesto promises 'smart' Panaji; silent on casinos

Panaji: The ruling BJP today promised to turn the state capital into ‘a smart city', but its manifesto for the February 13 assembly by-election is mum on the controversial issue of shifting of the off-shore

Panaji: The ruling BJP today promised to turn the state capital into ‘a smart city', but its manifesto for the February 13 assembly by-election is mum on the controversial issue of shifting of the off-shore casinos.

The manifesto was released today by the state BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar in the presence of its candidate Siddharth Kuncalienker.

The by-election became necessary after Manohar Parrikar resigned as the Chief Minister and joined the union cabinet.

Kuncalienker conceded that several promises in the 2012 election manifesto were yet to be fulfilled. “We have been able to fuflill just 40 per cent of the promises. The current manifesto is continuation of the earlier document,” he said.

However, while 2012 manifesto had promised to shift the off-shore casinos from Mandovi river-bank, this time the issue does not find a mention. The casinos are yet to be shifted.

“The cabinet has already taken a decision to shift them.

There is no issue left now,” said Kuncalienker.

Other candidates are Congress's Surendra Furtado and independents Samir Kelekar and Sadanand Vaingankar.